United By Pop received a free copy of A Court of Wings and Ruin in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are our own.
Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Purchase: Available in the UK and the US
Overall rating: 5/5
Great for: Fans of Susan Dennard, Laini Taylor, and Samantha Shannon
Themes: Fantasy, high fantasy, kingdom fantasy, political intrigue, action, romance, young adult
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Review: May 2nd is a momentous date! In 1194 King Richard I of England gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. In 1536 Anne Boleyn was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. In 1878 the USA stopped minting the 20 cent coin. In 1949 Arthur Miller won Pulitzer Prize for ‘Death of a Salesman’. In 2017, it marked the publication date for ‘A Court of Wings and Ruin’ by Queen Sarah J. Maas!
This was without a doubt my most highly anticipated release of 2017. The first two books in the series, ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ and ‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ both made it into my list of top 2016 reads and I was expecting great things to follow them. My hype has only been fuelled by the crazy amount of online adoration this series has been receiving, and this book did not leave my hands from the moment it was delivered to my door until the second I closed the final page, with a heavy heart, and said goodbye to my favourite cast of characters.
The first book in the series was a brilliant introduction to this world of high fae and high intrigue. Readers got to explore this, along with human protagonist Feyre, as we ventured with her beyond the wall separating them from the humans. In the second book, Feyre had shed her human skin and was transformed into a high fae, only to be incarcerated in the Spring Court with, and by, her lover, high lord Tamlin. This sickly sweet saviour of the first book turned from protector to aggressor, as he struggled to control his paranoia and overbearing nature. Feyre’s true saviour came in the unlikely form of the high lord of The Night Court (and my ultimate book bae), Rhysand.
‘A Court of Wings and Ruin’ begun with a tense 150 pages where I eagerly awaited my favourite duo to be returned into each other’s arms. When the moment finally occurred, Maas then proceeded to provide the absolute definition of #couplegoals!
This third book cemented in my mind why Feyre and Rhysand are my forever OTP! Their quick-witted retorts, their pride in each other’s accomplishments, their unrestrained adoration, their chemistry (ohmygosh, the sexual tension is through the roof, in this book!), their… EVERYTHING! Whilst romance-heavy reads are not always exactly my thing, I found this romance to be so pure and so sweet that I could have gone on and read 100 more books about their relationship development.
Maas, that cruel, cruel temptress, lured me in with this sweetness, before proceeding to break my heart over and over again. Because the power of this story does not just lie in the love between two people.
As one part of this story was getting built up, another was getting torn down. There was continuously several things occurring at any one time, making this a truly unputdownable read! Every chapter brought new strife, that kept the ages turning in quick succession, and many a day where I saw in the wee hours of the morning.
And each of these thrilling turns in the narrative all led to the climatic final scenes, at the battle with Hyburn. War haunts the entire book, led by a mad king setting out to rule the lands of Prythian and enslave all humans who reside there. As the beloved cast of characters face the ultimate battle, united in their objective, the tension of this story reaches an all time high.
Time and time again I found myself tearful and numb with shock, before cheering with relief as I flipped the page. Time and time again did Maas deceive me into thinking one thing and delivering another. As well as her beautiful penmanship, her stories are ultimately enjoyable due to their unpredictable nature.
This is a conclusion to Feyre’s story, but not this series as a whole. There is reported to be a further four books released under the ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ series name, but these will continue with another set of characters, connected to but not central to this storyline. And I’m not sure I’m about that life! Feyre and Rhysand, 4ever!
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